Senior Associate Blueprint Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada
In this portion of the panel, I examine the interaction between researcher and program delivery partner perspectives in Blueprint’s implementation of three RCT projects, and how ongoing dialogue with these staff shapes study design. Given the existing touchpoints and developing relationships of trust they have with participants, front-line practitioners are often best positioned to implement the design of an RCT on the ground. That is, they frequently play an important role in introducing the research to participants, fielding participant questions, informing participants of their status in the program following randomization, managing the reactions of control group members, and encouraging long-term participation in the research among all participants. To varying degrees among Blueprint’s three RCT projects, researcher dialogue with frontline practitioners has facilitated valuable two-way learning, including lessons about how to frame the research to participants (many of whom belong to vulnerable groups), how researchers can support program staff in their role as unwitting ambassadors of the research, and how to develop shared understandings with staff and participants about the long-term value of the study in demonstrating program impact. Ultimately, these conversations have underscored the importance of gaining buy-in for the RCT from program staff at all levels, and of providing front-line practitioners early and regular opportunities for feedback on RCT design and execution. They also highlight that solid foundations of trust among researchers, frontline staff, and participants are an essential component in the delivery of a successful and ethical RCT.
